Controlling Chaos
by queenLiz4
Summary: Loki is a threat to all 9 realms even if he doesn't mean to be. In an effort to control him, SHIELD asks Natasha to tell the biggest lie she'd ever told... That she has feelings for Loki.
1. Chapter 1

Notes:

I have no beta  
This is cracky. Happens after Thor 2 and to be real honest I've taken a lot of liberties with story line.  
There will be some seriousness and a hint of non-con but it won't be explicit.  
Oh yeah and i will have some dom/sub tones only because you know, we have to control chaos. Again there will be nothing too explicit and if anything changes there will be warnings.  
This chapter mentions rape but there is no detail of it and it really isn't rape. Just mentioned, that's all.

It started with a virus. All of SHIELD's computers went black before a green screen came on and a well-drawn Loki came walking onto the screen with his helmet and staff and slowly turned. Everyone held their breath, waiting for something to happen. Loki was capable of anything and bombing shield or wiping hard drives wasn't beneath him.

Suddenly, in bright yellow lights, the word "LOKI'D" appeared and the computer figure started dancing to Rhianna's S&amp;M song. The same part over and over again.

I MAY BE BAD BUT I'M PERFECTLY GOOD AT IT.

It got a chuckle from a few people but that turned to full on laughter as a computer drawn Iron Man came on the scene shaking his butt. Computerized Thor came on the scene waltzing with computerized Hulk and computerized Barton was swinging on ropes as computerized Natasha came gyrating on the screen. It was a ridiculous little gif that had even Fury laughing.

Once their computers came back online they did a search. No files were taken or opened which meant Loki just wanted attention.

Then about a week later, Loki was caught raising all hell at a Sprint store when they charged him roaming charges for going off Earth. Iron Man was the first at the scene ready to apprehend Loki until he saw the bill. The charges were kind of outrageous.

He didn't agree with destroying their satellites though and so he, Thor and Steve had to apprehend him, cuff him and put him in the Helicarrier Natasha flew in.

Once calmed, Loki went willingly and even started conversing with his brother. "Are you still bedding that scientist woman?" He asked.

"I am brother. I would invite you over but I fear you will be incarcerated for your antics."

"But it isn't my fault Thor! Roaming fees are outrageous in this realm. And the guy had such a bad attitude."

"Brother, you must learn to control your temper."

"I'm a villain, I don't need self-control. I need chaos and mayhem."

"You need a Valium." Natasha said from the cock pit. "You have too nervous much energy."

Loki turned to her. "Arachnid! How do you tolerate roaming fees?"

"SHIELD pays my phone bill." She answered casually.

"That is so unfair. We villains need a corporation like SHIELD. I shall bring it up at the next villain meeting."

"You have meetings?" Tony asked. "How does that work?"

"I don't know. I'm not generally welcomed at those. See, I am neither a hero nor villain really. I am not prejudiced. I annoy people regardless of their moral code."

Natasha thought that sounded lonely.

They were unsure what to do with Loki really. He had been through the New York prison system as well as SHIELD's. There was no prison that would hold him for long and it seemed even while not trying to be evil, he over reacted to everyday things so they did the only thing they could do.

Fury tagged him.

Tony and a dwarf worked together to make a bracer with a tracker that could gauge Loki's output of magic and track him. Turns out Dwarves used Sprint too.

Loki was not a happy camper.

This tracker only allowed him within 8 floors of the building and 8 blocks in any direction of the building. Oh how Loki tested those boundaries. They didn't really tell Loki what would happen if he crossed the radius and even if they did he would have tried anyway.

Turned out it capped his magic. It didn't drain him completely but it certainly took away his teleportation. The further from the radius he went, the less potent his powers. And one point he reached the Brooklyn Bridge and realized that he couldn't keep enough magic to maintain his human like look.

So he figured fine, all he had to do was blow up SHIELD and then everything would be alright. As soon as Loki attempted, he felt the bracer react to the dark magic causing Iron Man to be alerted.

So at least for the moment, Loki was actually trapped within the confines of Manhattan.

Fury figured out the more engaged Loki was the less crazy he became, so they started getting him to do things for Shield. He was given a position called a V.I (Villain Informant) and they'd give him spending cash for helping out with missions.

He started sparring with the Avengers taking delight in out witting them and frustrating them. He seemed to most delight in giving Natasha the worst of it.

Tony asked him why one day and he explained that it was because in battle, she would be attacked the most as what people thought was the weakest of the group. "She has to be the strongest. She'll stick out as the only female."

There was truth to that, Tony had to admit.

Then one day, she and Loki were sparring hard. He wasn't being particularly violent just elusive and frustrating. Eventually she became enraged, pulled a gun out her sock and shot him in the face.

Everyone was stunned, especially Loki who looked a mixed out outrage and shock. "You shot me." He stated holding his eye.

She immediately dropped the gun and went to help him. "Loki, I'm so sorry."

He pushed her off hand off his face. "This is why I don't like to spar with you. You always go too far."

It's something when a god-like creature tells you that you go too far. "Loki, I didn't mean…"

"There's no gun allowed in sparring Arachnid." He was still holding his eye which seemed to be taking a little longer than usual to heal. More than likely it was because SHIELD had found a way to stun magical beings. "You need a time out." Loki headed for the door but Thor called to him.

"Brother, it's the same eye father lost!" Thor laughed. "We can ask Fury to loan you a patch."

Loki starred one eyed at his brother and slowly the hole in his face started closing. "Die."

Then about four weeks later Natasha and Loki were sitting in a board room waiting for a SHIELD meeting. Loki was rattling on about some magical creation he was trying to make. Apparently a wolf, snake and living dead girl weren't enough for him.

Natasha had a theory that Loki created these beings to keep him company. From what he could tell he had no friends. He had a cell phone but never actually called anyone who wasn't an Avenger.

In any case, it wasn't working and he was getting frustrated.

"Didn't you say there needs to be balance in magic? Maybe you are too masculine. Perhaps you need something feminine."

Loki snorted. "Not likely I'll find a magical female here. I should find a SHIELD maiden to impregnate and plan to take over SHIELD with my humanoid magical creature."

It was a slow dawning. Natasha saw the moment Loki realized that it could work. His head turned slowly, green eyes bright. "Arachnid give me your womb."

She couldn't help but chuckle. "No."

"We don't have to have sex. I can magically insert my creation into and you could birth it."

As if that made things any better. "No Loki."

"GIVE ME YOUR WOMB!" Like shouting was going to make her do it.

It took exactly one minute for Loki to jump up but Natasha knew it was coming and jumped up before he could grab her. "Loki you are crazy!"

"What does that have to do with it? I need your womb."

It was so ludicrous. "Go away."

With one long step he started for her and she took off running throwing chairs at him and crawling under tables. He caught her by the waist eventually and pinned her to the table. "Give me your womb." He was saying causing her to laugh hysterically. She wasn't really worried about Loki impregnating her though. If he wanted to, he probably didn't need her consent.

She was kicking at him as he got her slim wrists in cool hands. She could feel all his muscles straining on top of her and hear his laughter through his chest. He smelled like a peppermint patty. It reminded her that she was hungry and if he kept writhing on top of her she was going to get hungry for something else.

They struggled for a moment before they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. They both looked up to see Banner, Steve and Tony looking at them.

What a sight they made. Natasha, pinned down by Loki's body, legs wrapped around his slender hips. "It's not what it looks like." She started still smiling.

"Yeah." Loki agreed. "I'm just trying to put my baby in her womb."

Natasha laughed uncontrollably at that as Tony said, "That is actually exactly what it looks like."

Loki looked down at Natasha who nodded her agreement. Slowly he lifted off her and took a seat. Natasha slid off the table still smiling and took a seat next to him.

Tony sat across from Loki as Steve asked her, "Are you alright? We thought you were in trouble at first but then you were laughing."

"I'm fine. It was just a joke." She told them. "He needs a vessel for his latest creation."

That caught Bruce's attention. He liked Loki's creations. Truth be told, he liked Loki. "Creation? You are working on something new?"

Loki removed his hands from his eyes. "Yeah. Arachnid is being less than helpful."

"Maybe you should try the old fashion way." Tony teased.

"I don't have sex."

"With mortals?" Tony pressed. "In general?"

"In general."

All four present Avengers looked at him as if he was crazy. Who doesn't have sex?

"Magic is a constantly moving thing." Loki explained. "I have to be very careful who I tie my emotions with. I would hate to end up like mother."

"Mother?" Thor entered the room. "How will you end up like mother?"

"Magically tied to a narcissist." Loki replied.

Thor felt propelled to defend. "Father is not a narcissist."

"How could he not be? Look at us. You're pompous and arrogant. And I'm perfect."

"Ha!" Natasha laughed. "You're hilarious."

000

"Agent Romanoff. A word please?"

Natasha followed Fury into the office. "What do you need?"

"I need you to sleep with Loki." Fury had always been a direct man but that was a little too blunt even for her.

Her eyes bugged out of her head. "What?!"

"A little birdy told me his magic could be controlled by emotionally linking him."

Curses to Hawkeye. "You want me to…"

"I'm not asking you to fall in love, I'm asking you to make him fall in love." It was like that made a difference. It was a cruel thing to do even to a villain.

"And once he realizes this is a ruse? What will we do then?"

"It will be too late. He'll be linked, we don't need you to be linked to him. Look we both know it will only take Loki a matter of time before he can find a way of that bracer."

"Yes but I think we can all agree that Loki is no longer a real threat."

"I think that's where you're wrong. Loki doesn't even know if he's a threat. We had our criminal psychologist take a look. He's unstable at best. He's fine today, tomorrow, someone makes him the wrong coffee and he blows up Starbucks. But if he is linked and SHIELD has control of his powers…"

"He'd be an unwilling weapon." And there it was. SHIELD, with Loki's power will be a force to be reckoned with.

"To evil. Not to the world."

Here they went with that greater good crap.

"Natasha, we both know that sometimes we have to tip toe the line. I am not saying this is the best thing we can do, I'm saying it's the only way to get him controlled."

She nodded her agreement and was dismissed.

How was she going to do this? Seducing a man that probably hadn't ever wanting to link himself before was going to be a challenge.

So was the reaction she was going to get once he found out the truth.

She was in such thought the she hadn't realized Loki had joined her in the walk. "Arachnid, I wanted to apologize."

"For what?" That was a first.

He stopped her with a hand on her upper arm. "Well… um… I… When Barton was my minion he told me… there was a reason why I threatened you with an intimate murder and it occurred to me that in trying to steal your womb, it might have…"

"Oh, no." She stopped him before he could finish that thought. "I didn't really think you were going to take my womb."

"Wonderful!" He did look relieved. "Then all is well?"

"Yeah." It had to be. She had to start seducing him tomorrow.

"Wonderful!" He repeated. Followed by, " So about your womb…"

"No Loki." She didn't smile but her eyes said amusement.

"Gah! I apologized for nothing."

Natasha laughed as she watched him turn. Setting sights on Agent Hill he jogged over. "Agent. How do you feel about your womb?"

Natasha watched the look of pure confusion and the dazzling smile Loki gave her. He really didn't seem to want to be evil or even like he was trying to be and still he was a threat, a danger in the public no matter what planet he was on. And she was going to have to lie to him repeatedly and make him think she felt something for him that she didn't.

She would have to tell the rest of the team. How was she going explain to his brother?

Agent Hill rebuffed him and he muttered something about placing an ad in The New York Times before teleporting himself to where ever it was he went to when he didn't want to deal with SHIELD.

She was going to do this. She was going to link Loki to herself while keeping herself distant from him. She was going to intentionally hurt him. That was going to be one more horrible thing she'd done.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you people insane! This is cruel! It's wrong! I don't understand how so many heroes could have such a broken moral compasses." Natasha expected this kind of reaction but not from Bruce. She expected Thor to be more upset than anyone else but so far he'd been quiet.

Natasha sighed. "I agree this isn't the best way to do things, but Loki does need to be contained and there are no prisons that would hold him long." In truth, she was kind of hoping someone could come up with some other way to do this. They were geniuses sitting around the table for crying out loud! She looked to Steve. "What do you think?"

"I think it's cruel."

Bruce threw his hands up. "Thank you."

"But necessary." Steve finished. "Bruce, I understand your reservations…"

"No you don't."

Tony stood up. "Nat, I think you should do what you think is best. You're the one who has to sleep at night."

"Lady Widow," Thor started. "This is not something you should do lightly."

Natasha braced herself. She'd been waiting for Thor's input.

"I assure you this will be no easy task. Loki has not the frame of mind to even take a lover. Becoming intimate, he knows, will render him vulnerable and his magic could be used without his consent. There is a reason why wizards, witches and sorcerers choose a life of celibacy. In addition, Loki would not be controlled by SHIELD but to you. Personally. And it will have effects on you. Even more than all that, you are talking about giving my brother promises of understanding, love and companionship while knowing you will deliver none of it. These are things he has always wanted and it will be beyond anger that he will feel when he realizes this. This of course, is assuming he doesn't figure out your motives and then decides to kill everyone for it."

Natasha blinked. "So you are against it?"

"No. I'm all for it, if you aren't lying to him. He's the god of lies. You think he knows not the signs of an untrustworthy person?"

Steve stood up and started for the door. "Be that as it may, you have orders Natasha."

Tony snorted. "Nat you're an assassin not a solider. You don't always have to follow orders." Tony took his leave.

Natasha looked to Barton who was quiet the entire time. She didn't really know what she and Barton was. They were friends of course, with an occasional benefit, which made things complicated. She did feel some loyalty to the man that had been her sole lover for the last six years. Surely he wouldn't be alright with this. "Nat, you have to do what you have to do."

Was he serious? "You're alright with another man being under my control?"

Barton didn't really answer; he just stood up and shrugged in an uninterested manner while he walked out. Jerk.

Thor stood. "Lady Widow, I wish my brother happiness and that will not be the end result. I also wish him to be sane again, which will not happen as well. He needs boundaries and yet nothing can contain him. I wish you luck in your endeavor but hope it fails."

What the heck was that?

Bruce waited until Thor was gone before taking a seat next to her. "Natasha, listen me. I know something about doing things that are wrong and horrible but feeling like you can't control it. Controlling Loki will not stop him. It will make him worse. It has to be his choice to do this. Loki doesn't mean harm nor does he particularly care for life. He lives in a constant grey area and that will never change. Please, think about what you're doing. When you trap a wild animal he doesn't become docile. He will chew his own leg off to get free and Loki will be no different. Are you willing to living with that?"

Bruce didn't let her answer. Natasha sat there just as confused as she was before she told them. What was she going to do?

000

Fury was close but it wasn't a Starbucks Loki attempted to blow up but a Dunkin Donuts and it wasn't over a coffee but a donut that they ran out of. It was the only Dunkin Donuts in his radius and he wasn't about to wander around Manhattan without his magic so the idea that he wouldn't be able to get his bow tie enraged him.

Why did everything have to be so hard for him? Other people were able to walk around getting donuts from wherever they wanted, but no. Thanks to the stupid man in the Sprint store, Loki's freedom was severely reduced and really that was more upsetting than not actually having a donut.

Luckily, his bracer alerted Iron Man to his sudden attempt to conjure dark magic and Loki was apprehended before he could do any damage to anyone. This resulted in him sitting in a chair with a pout on his face and getting a lecture from Thor.

"Brother, you can't kill people just because you don't get your way." Thor explained. "You need restraint."

"It wasn't my intention to kill them." Loki explained.

"Then what was your intention?" Thor questioned.

Loki didn't seem to have an answered and he stumbled on his words before yelling. "… Why do I have to have intentions? I wanted a donut."

"And not getting one resulted in Iron Man having to knock you to the ground and you put many lives in danger Loki."

"Thor," Loki complained. "Just go get me a bow tie!"

Thor shook his head and sighed. Natasha frowned as he passed.

"You know Loki, if you wanted a bow tie you could have just asked." Bruce told him. "I would have gotten you one."

"Why?" Loki's face scrunched in confusion.

"Because, you want one and you are restricted from going to any other Dunkin Donuts." Bruce explained.

Loki looked at Bruce as if he was speaking a foreign language. He just couldn't seem to grasp that someone was doing something nice for him just for the sake of being nice to him.

Natasha supposed it had been a while since someone genuinely did do something nice for him. Of course that was difficult to do when he was always being so difficult to deal with. But from the stories she'd heard from Thor, even before Loki decided to go around killing people, Loki wasn't one to be given favors. Perhaps it was less that he was being difficult and more like he was striking at others before they could strike at him.

It confused her further when three days later, he went to the cafeteria for a sandwich and when they didn't have it, he didn't eve bat an eyelash. He didn't get angry or yell or go on one of his long tirades. He just ordered something else.

"Didn't feel like blowing anything up today?" She asked when they sat down.

"Blow things up?" He questioned taking the clear wrapping off his wrap.

"Yeah. That's your thing. It you don't get what you want, you blow things up."

He smiled. "Are you referring to the donut incident? That was very different. I was having an already frustrating morning."

"Luckily for us this morning ran smoothly for you."

"Indeed. But fear not, tomorrow will be a new day and if I wake up feeling like murder."

It bothered her, but Fury was right. Loki was unstable on his best days. What angered him one day was nothing to him the next. There was no predicting what he was going to do. He was the perfect embodiment of chaos. He was a wildfire that left one part of a forest unburned but then destroyed another part. She would have to no choice; she would have to seduce him not just to protect other but him as well.

It would only be a matter of time before Fury would put more restraint on him or worse, Loki would come up against someone that could defeat him.

This was no easy task though. For the first week, Natasha tried to find out what Loki would even like in a woman, but it seemed Thor was very right in his assessment of his brother. Loki wasn't in the frame of mind to take a lover. Every conversation she tried to start about it, he'd change the subject or bluntly informed her that he had no interest in her questions.

She was starting to think that maybe this was going to be an impossible mission and the thought was a bit of a relief. All she had to do was tell Fury she couldn't advance in the mission and she wouldn't have to even worry about it.

But of course, nothing in her life worked out that well and leave it to Tony to ne the instigator of it all.

Loki was lounging on the chair in Tony's workroom while Natasha was target practicing with Barton. It was becoming a bit of a habit of Loki's to hang around with the science geeks. They seemed to have a higher tolerance for him and an interest in his knowledge of other worlds. Had Bruce been as SHIELD that day, that's where Loki would have been but he's second choice was always Tony.

"I think I'm going to marry Pepper." Tony was saying. "But I have no idea how to ask."

Loki took interest which surprised Loki. Normally he didn't care much for their personal lives. "Don't do the knee thing, it's not you. But it has to be romantic."

"Romantic? And why isn't the kneeling thing me?"

"Tony, you are not one to beg for anything. And yes it still has to be romantic. You know, make her favorite meal. No candle light though, again, it's not you. And maybe…. Oh teach one of your suits to play an instrument, and then sing her favorite song."

Tony stopped what he was working on completely and tried to envision it. Something uniquely him and yet still appealing. "I can't sing."

"That's what will make it memorable." Loki told him. "Romance is subjective. I wouldn't like it if someone who couldn't sing sang for me but then, I'm a jerk."

Tony thought about it for a moment before saying. "You know, I had no idea you were a romantic Loki."

"What! I need to be wined and dined before I put out." Loki teased.

Tony rolled his eyes but smiled and Natasha filed it away for a later use.

000

Natasha wasn't a virgin, nor was she one to shy away from approaching men but this was a different thing all together. For one thing, she was seducing a man who was over a thousand years old. For another, he was a man not even looking for a woman in his life and lastly, he knew if he did give himself to someone, he would be in a position of servitude, he who wanted a whole world at his feet.

Natasha tried to steel herself against whatever was about to happen. With donut in one hand and a coffee in the other she entered the break room where Loki was sitting with Bruce.

And why Bruce? The one person who was so whole heartedly against this?

"These are for you." She said told Loki placing the items down in front of him

Loki looked at the items she placed in front of him. "Did you spit on them or something?"

Bruce smiled.

"Nope. I just thought you'd like a treat." Natasha tried to explain.

Loki lowered a brow and sniffed at the coffee. "Since when do you buy people treats?"

"Not people. Just you." Yes she was flirting. Yes she felt dirty. Yes Loki squinted his green eyes at her like he was trying to read her.

"What makes me so special?" He asked when he could find no deception on her face.

She shrugged as he stood up.

"Well I'm going to take my treats and xray them in the lab. Good day Bruce."

Bruce nodded as Natasha's eyes followed him out.

Seed planted.

"Natasha." Bruce called to her attention and waited for her to look back at him. "You've decided to do it?"

"I've decided to try." She answered. "If it's supposed to be, it'll be."

Bruce nodded. "I've work to do before I set off for India."

He didn't wish her luck on her endeavor, but then, she didn't expect him to. She sat down and sighed, trying to think of the next step she should take.


	3. Chapter 3

Natasha was getting nowhere. In fact, she thought it might have been possible that she was ruining what relationship she did have with Loki. Loki was now suspicious of her and the gifts she continued to bring him. He was no longer playful with her, or sought her company. This was not going how she planned it.

To make matters worse, Bruce was ever present with him giving her evil looks. As if she didn't feel about enough about it already his looks made her feel even more like a heartless creep.

So she changed her tactic a bit and observed Jane and Thor to see if there was a certain way she should have been courting him. After a few days of following them around she realized their courting rituals weren't really that different from Earth's. He took her out, called her all kinds of sickening sweet names and then took her to bed every night.

She thought perhaps she was being too forward, too direct. So she tried a more subtle approach. She laughed at his jokes, which really wasn't new. She found him hilarious. She gave him soft but playful touches which _was_ new for her and though he seemed to like that but he never gave them back or initiated flirtation, only went along with it.

"He isn't looking for a partner." Tony told her one day after an hour of flirting culminated in him getting distracted by Bruce and following him to the lab. "Perhaps you should just ask him out."

"Women aren't that bold on Asgard." She told him

"Well he's not Asgardian." He reminded her. "Not in how they dress, eat, speak, behave or think. I assume he wouldn't be like them in love either."

But this wasn't love. This was setting a trap, ensnaring him.

Still it was good advice. So she waited until he went to retire for the night before approaching him. She wanted him alone and relaxed.

She knocked on his door and waited for a response. It took a moment but when the door opened she lost her breath.

Loki was fresh from a shower, his hair a little damp, and he wore a black t-shirt and black sweat pants. He was beautiful when he did himself up, but he was breath taking in his natural state. She felt flushed and confused. When did she start finding him attractive?

"Arachnid, what can I do for you?" He asked when she didn't say anything.

"I wanted to talk to you about something, privately." She told him. "Can I come in?"

An eyebrow rose, but he opened the door and allowed her access to his room.

Everything was neat and clean, much like him and there were scented candles lit on the edges of the windows. He was romancing himself?

"I was just about to go to sleep Arachnid. Can this not wait until morning?"

"No. I wanted…" She stumbled in her words for a moment. She really needed to get it together. "I wanted to see if you wanted to see some New York attractions. The city looks much different when you aren't trying to destroy it."

"You want to take me out?" His head tilted to the side. "Are there many attractions in my radius?"

"You'll be with me. There will be no radius." That should make him willing to go out. Loki had to be getting sick of seeing the same things every day.

He did seem intrigued by that. "Why though? I mean the gifts, the flirtatious touches and now this. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought you were trying to court me."

She swallowed. "Perhaps I am."

Loki snorted about to laugh until he realized she wasn't laughing.

She was serious.

"Natasha," That was the first time he ever used her name. It sounded exotic in his accent. "I'm… you realize I'm Loki right?"

She blinked. "Of course I realize you're Loki."

"No, I mean, I'm not Thor. I'm not the golden prince on the white horse coming to rescue you."

Now she snorted. "I don't want a Thor. I am not a damsel in distress. You know how I look at it Loki? I'm the princess riding in on the white horse and you're the prince who needs rescuing from the evil witch Fury who had captured you and locked you away in a SHIELD prison."

Loki opened his mouth to say something but found he had nothing to say. She liked that. She liked that she made him speechless.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow morning." She told him.

His cheeks were red, mouth still gaped open before he nodded.

She left feeling accomplished.

000

Loki wasn't really sure what was going on. When he rose the next morning he wasn't sure if Natasha asking him out was a joke or if he should really get dressed. It wasn't that he didn't find Natasha pretty. She was. And she was smart, smarter than most mortals he came in contact with, but why would she actually want to date him?

Giving in, he showered and dressed and drank some coffee before he heard her soft knock on the door.

He cracked it open slowly, tentatively, as he figured that something other than Natasha standing there with a smile on her face would be there. Perhaps Tony was going to try a new missile attack, or Bruce wanted to scare him with the Hulk.

But no. There was no one but Natasha dressed in jeans and a v-cut black shirt. He opened the door wider. "You were serious?"

She giggled a little. "Yeah. Come on, Fury gave me permission to take you around town."

"Really?" His head tilted to the side, one eye opened wider than the other.

"Your presence at SHIELD had been…" She tried to find the right word.

"Trying?" He offered.

"Sure let's go with that." She smiled knowing that was not the word Fury used to describe him.

He didn't invite her back into his room, instead stepped out. "And where are we going?"

"Well first, it's breakfast at IHop, a ferry ride, Barnes and Nobles, lunch at Applebee's, an afternoon at Coney Island, the aquarium and dinner at City Island."

"I don't know what any of that is. But I will follow you until I get bored."

"Then I guess I better make sure you aren't' bored." She said in a rather suggestive tone.

"Good luck with that!" He snorted. Nothing held his attention long in the centuries he'd been alive. He doubted Natasha could hold his interest.

It was a challenge Natasha was happy to take on.

000

IHop

In turned out as far as keeping Loki entertained, food did the trick just fine. She didn't know how he kept his figure, with the steak and eggs he was shoving down his throat.

But this wasn't just about entertaining him. She had already known a few things about him. He was a romantic for sure, with his scented candles and he liked sweets. But she had to find out what he was interested in so that she could be interested in it too.

"When we took Thor here, he ate them out of pancakes." She told him. "They took his picture and banned him."

Loki smiled. "That doesn't surprise me. On Asgard we have feasts for everything."

She gave him a half smile. "Do you miss it?"

"Feasts or Asgard?" He asked.

"Either. Both." She suggested.

"I don't miss Asgard. I like feasts." He said in a dry tone.

"I'm sure. It's a chance for you to be the center of attention." She was sure he'd like that, having everyone look at him.

He looked at her for a moment before answering. "I am never the center of attention. Not unless I'm blowing something up or putting someone in danger. I like feasts because I am expected to cause mischief and so it's alright to be myself. I amuse people when they want to have a good time but apparently I am exceedingly annoying the rest of the time."

That's when she learned he was lonely.

000

Ferry Ride

"We have vehicles like this." Loki informed Natasha as they boarded the Staten Island Ferry. "Except ours fly."

"You have flying boats?"

"It would seem so."

They went to the top level, despite it being a bit of a chilly morning. She wanted Loki to have the full experience. "You don't get sea sick do you?"

Loki snorted. "Not a chance. I don't get any kind of sick. I'm awesome."

Natasha laughed. "There are a lot of awesome people that get sea sick."

"Name one."

"Steve."

"Steve is so not awesome. He is the most non-awesome person I've ever met."

Natasha laughed. "You are such a jerk."

"Indeed. I have been my whole life."

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Your brother paints a very different picture of you."

Now Loki shrugged. "Thor is blind."

"You don't think he sees you?"

"I don't think anyone does."

That's when Natasha realized Loki felt ignored.

000

Barnes and Noble

Natasha went straight to romantic thrillers leaving Loki to his own devices. She figured the best way to keep Loki's attention was to keep a distance and not over crowd him. She looked around for about an hour before going to look for Loki. She started getting worried when she couldn't find him readily but then noticed him sitting in the Starbucks attached to the book store.

He had ordered himself a coffee, iced coffee to be exact, and had a stack of books about the occult on his table. It was very interesting to see him alone, not bothering anyone, not in a quest for attention.

"There you are." She said as she plopped down. "Thinking about making a voodoo doll?"

"The magic of your realm is very basic." He informed without taking his eyes off the book. "My mother taught me these things when I was a child."

"Really? Doesn't seem like something a parent should teach a child."

"She probably had faith that I would never use my magic for evil. How disappointed she must have been in me."

Natasha frowned. "Thor said she loved you a great deal."

"You can love someone and still be a great disappointed in them. The two seem to walk hand in hand in my life."

Loki still hadn't taken his eyes of the book, but Natasha could still sense the sadness. He must feel like a disappointment to the family he could never reclaim but then he must be disappointed in a family that gave up on him long before he gave up on himself.

That's when Natasha realized Loki was still looking for redemption.

000

Applebee's

Loki liked hot wings a great deal more than Natasha thought he would.

She ordered them really as a prank. She called them Buffalo wings so Loki had no idea they would be spicy and she didn't tell him how hot they really were. She wanted him to take a bite and feel the heat so she could laugh at him hysterically.

He took a bite; his eyes flashed red, his frost giant nature not pleased with what he put in his mouth. He gasped as she laughed and handed him bread. He laughed with her, trying regain his composer. "You're a jerk Arachnid."

She was gasping for birth. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it."

But then he took another bite of the wings and then another.

She frowned. "They aren't too hot for you?"

"They're torture." He responded

She frowned and turned her head as he continued to eat something that burned him. At one point, steam actually left his mouth as he took a bite. She had to turn away when she realized he was self-destructive.

000

Coney Island

Loki, for all his quests for attention, really didn't like crowds. She didn't notice it right away, but he became more agitated as the amusement part filled. Eventually, in mid stride, he simply turned and headed for the much emptier beach.

She followed behind him until he slowed down enough to match his stride. "Not a people person huh?"

"People are fine. It's noise I have a distaste for."

"Really?"

"Really. When you have a brother that like to travel in thunder…"

He actually finish the sentence but Natasha got the gist.

He was afraid of his brother.

000

Aquarium

Loki was like a kid in the aquarium. He looked at every exhibit and read every pamphlet very much interested in aquatic life.

More interestingly, aquatic life seemed to be very much interested in him. No matter which exhibit they stood in front of, the fish swam to him and followed his fingers as he touch the glass tanks.

He bought souvenir plush animals for everyone. Tony got an electric eel, Thor a hammer head shark, Banner got a puffer fish, Barton got a star fish because "he does nothing really", got Steve a seahorse and he got her a spider crab. He bought nothing for himself.

They were on their way out when Loki suddenly ran up a head of her and managed to get behind one of the exhibits and get into the shark tank. Everyone was screaming at fist thinking him in danger, but soon people cheered and he rode great whites and kissed a tiger shark.

He was dragged out of the tank, soaking wet and taken to the security booth where they took his picture and banned them from returning. Before leaving he requested a copy of the picture and tucked away in a jacket pocket.

When they got in the car she tried her best to look stern and disproving but his sheepish grin was adorable.

She rolled her eyes. He was still a kid at heart.

000

City Island was beautiful. Neither one of them was hungry so they just walked around, enjoying the scenery.

"Did you have fun?" She asked him as they watched the sun set.

He turned to her. "Tell me the real reason why you invited me out."

Only if she could. "I told you, I wanted to spend time with you."

"Yeah but why? I've been in New York for a long time, and you've never expressed interest."

Because she wasn't really interested. Not in the way she should have been. "I wasn't." That was true. "Things change." That's also true, but not in this case.

Something passed over his face. For a moment he looked like he really wanted to believe her. Confusion was mixed in there while he was trying to detect her lies. But she was trained to lie to him and just as she fooled him once, she fooled him again and he smiled a genuine smile. "I had fun."

That's when Natasha realized he still had hope. And she felt like a monster. Everything she had learned about him, his loneliness, his feelings of being ignored, his quest for redemption, his self-destructiveness, his fears, his child-like heart and his hope, she would have to use against him.

He would hate her, she knew.


	4. Chapter 4

Summary:

Loki is getting frustrated and Natasha is paying for it.

Notes:

I'm sorry for the length. This chapter was very difficult for me to write for some reason. It's a little less fluffy and kind of on the sad side, but I had to show some Loki feelings for plot.

Chapter Text

Shield was boring without The Avengers there to bother. They were all on assignments that took them outside Loki's radius and that left him with a lack of people to annoy. He wandered around all the floors in SHIELD that he had access to and found that no one really wanted his presence. Most feared him but those who didn't weren't people Loki would find interesting, so went outside in search of fun.

He bought a Latte and roamed around, window shopping.

000

Loki had the ability to be in a room and not be seen, even without his gift of invisibility. It was something that followed him from Asgard to New York it seemed as he sat in a SHIELD meeting trying to tell them he had some information of the villain they were going to California to defeat.

It seemed each time he opened his mouth, someone cut in offering their opinion or advice to Hawk Eye and Agent Hill. For a full five minutes he tried to get someone to listen to him before he realized it was useless.

He sat back in his chair and started doodling himself killing people on his note pad.

000

Loki was frustrated. He had been cooped up too long and it seemed it wasn't going to get any better.

Fine then.

Loki went out as far as he could go without his powers being dampened and started blasting trees. He steered clear of buildings and people, not really wanting to hurt anyone but just needing to get rid of his frustration.

It didn't take long before Captain America came running over with his shield. Loki turned to him and thought about his options. He could just go with him and return to SHIELD but that really wouldn't make him feel better.

He needed a spar.

So he blasted Steve, making sure to hit his shield and they fought.

Steve was really no match for him. He wasn't immortal, or the strongest Avenger, but he was smart and was able to leave a few bruises and cuts on him by the time Loki surrendered. He was deliciously sore from the work out.

In cuffs, Loki was led back to SHIELD.

He wondered if Thor would come to check on him.

000

Thor did come to visit him, but he was not a happy camper. He scolded Loki for a good two hours, pointing his hammer and fussing about the lives Loki could have cost.

"I didn't actually kill anyone Thor." Loki tried to defend.

"No, you didn't hit anyone but the debris from the trees you blasted but the fear you put in people to make them scramble away, tripping over their own feet did cause injury."

Loki hadn't thought about that. He couldn't let on though that he might have felt some remorse for that so he shrugged. "Injury is not death."

Thor grabbed him by the throat, causing Loki to flinch getting ready for the punch but it didn't come. "Brother, you must stop this."

"You're the one about to hit me! You should stop this!" Loki countered.

"I mean your destructive behavior!"

"Oh. Well… for that I can make no promises." He smiled causing Thor to shake his head.

Thor released him and walked towards the door.

Loki knew he disappointed his brother but that was only a small sting compared to the happiness he got just from the visit.

000

Loki felt better. The rest of the Avengers returned with stories to tell and Loki listened to each other. He dug through their bag of souvenirs that they brought back from California and took the best of the bunch before hording them in his room.

He stayed in Thor's rooms, playing him and Tony in Mario Cart. He teased them without mercy when he won and threatened to blow up the building when he lost.

In short. It was fun.

000

For a little while Natasha forgot about her mission to seduce Loki. Her latest oversea mission had taken her full focus and concentration. She hadn't much time to think of anything else. A part of her hoped Fury forgot but no.

Soon after she returned from her mission Fury called her in for a status update. She found, for the first time ever, she wasn't eager to give out details.

"It's progressing." She told Fury deliberately leaving out all the knowledge she'd gained.

"That's good. But I'm going to need something a little more a little quicker." He told her. "I don't know if you haven't heard, but Loki went tree killing while you were gone."

She nodded. "Thor informed me." She wasn't really surprised. Loki wasn't the type of person to live the same day twice. Being chained to a small area with no one around to talk to was a torture no one could have every concocted for him, even if it was for safety purposes. Still, she was slightly proud he hadn't killed anyone or resorted to his darker side.

Fury nodded a moment before continuing. "I'm giving you another month."

She blinked. "A month for what?"

"To sleep with him." His tone was cold and matter of fact.

Natasha didn't like to be threated. "Or what?"

"Or I'm assigning another agent."

The thought bothered her more than she liked to admit. "Another agent?" Another agent who won't be as kind or gentle with him, an agent who would be more than happy to sleep with a god to get supernatural powers? "I'll get it done."

He smiled tightly. "I know you will."

Natasha left Fury's office trying not to let her worry show. A month? She had a month to make distrustful, not interested in a lover Loki to not only to trust her but to love her!

She would need a miracle.

"Arachnid, I was just coming to look for you." It was rare that Natasha would ever be so deep in thought that someone could startle her, but Loki managed it.

"I was just looking of you as well." She told him.

"Why?" The two of them started towards the coffee machine.

"I missed you." She told him and she realized that wasn't actually a lie.

He snorted.

"Why were you looking for me?" She countered

"Oh yes, well, I have found myself on the wrong side of Fury and I was hoping you could help me get back on his right side. Or at least close enough to it that he might be willing to loosen my leash and give me more radius."

A half smile touched her lips. "Perhaps you shouldn't blow up trees." She offered.

"I didn't blow them up. I shot them." He corrected. "Come on Natasha how long am I required to be here?"

"Where would you go?" She pour her coffee in to a cup and lead him to a table.

"No where. Everywhere. There are other places to be besides Earth." He sat across from her, face blank but eyes pleading.

She felt bad for him but she couldn't forget Loki was actually a killer. Perhaps if she got to the root of the problem she could find a way around using sex to control him. "Well then tell me this. Why do you feel the need to destroy things?"

"Because I can't build things." He answered honestly but then shot the same question at her. "Why do you destroy things?"

She was taken aback. "What…"

"I don't understand why Thor can kill dozen of Jotuns, Hydra people die all time, Tony has made weapons that killed thousands and yet I kill a handful of people and I'm a villain."

Natasha opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

"All of you think you're better than me, more moral at least, and yet it is wrong for me to think myself better than you. I want to know who decides who villains are." It was an odd question to say the least.

Again she opened her mouth and again nothing came out.

"He trusts you. If you tell him that you think I should have more room to breathe, he'll listen to you."

"And when you go back to villainy…"

"So sure of me aren't you? Who said I ever was a villain? I've heard talk of Barton being a villain, and you. Now you're both Avengers."

"You want to be an Avenger?"

"Heaven's no. I want to be free again Natasha."

She sighed. "There are consequences for your actions Loki. Let's just wait until this whole tree episode blows over. If you're good we'll talk to Fury."

By then she would have accomplished her mission and broken his trust. She wondered what her consequences be when this whole thing is over.

Notes:

Tell me what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

Summary:

Things are moving along nicely but Loki smells something is up.

Notes:

OK Sorry for the delay. This chapter was a bit of a struggle to write. There is still no beta and there are mistakes.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Week 1

Monday

Natasha sat in her chair, eyes to the sky as she tried to think of something other than Loki. He was currently working with Bruce looking into some biological threat that SHIELD found out HYDRA was working on. Despite herself, her eyes kept finding him as he moved around the room. His face was inches from the bloody creature and he seemed more intrigued than disgusted. Apparently they didn't have frogs in Asgard.

Loki seemed oblivious to her stares but Bruce was not. When Loki was called by Thor to help him with a Jane problem, Bruce was quick to comment on her attention. "You're really going through with this aren't you?"

"I have to." She answered not needing clarification on what he was talking about. "What would you do?"

"Tell him." Bruce lived a simple life. In an attempt to keep stress away, he solved problems quickly. To him, this all would be over quickly if she just told him what Fury wanted him to do. "Especially since you have feelings for him."

"I don't have feelings for him." She didn't believe her own lie and she knew Bruce wouldn't but she had to try.

"Fury said sleep with him not ogle him." Bruce teased.

Natasha laughed. "He's not what I expected." She admitted.

"No, I guess he isn't." Loki was a nuts and Bruce thought he was with his out of the box ideas and convoluted logic but he was actually a nice guy. When he wasn't trying to kill you.

"Bruce, if I tell him, Fury will send someone in to finish the job. Who knows who it will be." Natasha tried to explain her position. She wasn't doing this by choice. She didn't want to hurt Loki.

"And if you don't tell him you'll ruin any chance of you and he having a life together. So the question is, do you obey SHIELD or have your own life?"

"It's not that easy."

Bruce nodded. "Of course it is. I choose my own life, Tony did as well. Captain choose SHIELD and Barton chooses home. You're the only on living on the line."

She sighed as Loki came back in rolling his eyes. "I don't understand how Thor was on Midgard longer than I and yet still can't manage to make a cup of coffee for himself and then has the nerve to get upset because Jane refused to make it for him anymore."

Bruce snorted. "I know people who have been here for their whole lives and can't make a cup of coffee." Like Tony.

Loki looked at Natasha. "Don't you have someone to spy on?"

Slightly insulted that he was trying to get rid of her, she answered with an attitude. "I'm spying on you."

"It's not spying if you just sit there." She blanched. Maybe he did realize her eyes were following him. "If you are going to be here, you need to grab a knife and dissect an animal."

Natasha took that as he cue to leave.

000

The next day was an interesting one. The Avengers got together in The Tower for their monthly meeting that Tony named, "Monthly Avengers Personal Lives is Display Lunch" or MAPLD.

Loki did everything he could to get out of it. He made many valid arguments. "I'm not an Avenger he told Steve.

Steve snorted. "You're the brother of an Avenger, that's close enough."

"I don't have a personal life." He explained to Tony.

Tony frowned. "That's something to talk about right there."

"I don't like you." He told Thor.

Thor only grinned around his mouth full of pancakes. "You're the god of lies brother! That means I am to believe the opposite of everything you say." He pulled out a green sheet of paper that had Jane's scribbling on it. "See."

Loki looked at the upheld paper that read "BELIEVE THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT LOKI SAYS." Loki grunted and left Thor alone for the rest of the day.

So when Natasha came and literally shot him twice in the back to get him out of his room, he was not in a good mood. His back was sore, she had ruined his shirt and he had no interest in their personal lives.

He slumped down in the chair and held up his head with his hand. At least they had good food.

"I'll start!" Barton yelled. "All of my kids are passing to the next grade!"

"Aww," Tony teased. "The little birds are learning to fly!"

Loki rolled his eyes. Tony was so… ridiculous.

"Well you won't guess my news." Tony started.

"You're going to rehab?" Loki offered.

Tony's eyes squinted into slits. "No. Pepper and I are getting married."

Loki huffed as everyone as the table started shouting out their congratulations at him. "So you aren't going to rehab?"

Everyone continued to gush as Tony launched into how he asked and if she cried.

"Seriously, are we really going to ignore the fact that Tony is an alcoholic?" Loki frowned when no one responded. "Whatever."

Eventually the conversation moved on to Steve. "Bucky is checking into a SHIELD hospital to get help for his recent… mishap."

Loki snorted. "Mishap? Is that what we're calling that? Where is this hospital? I must warn him about SHIELD putting villains on leashes."

Ton smirked. "Don't worry sweetheart, you're still the only villain on a leash."

Loki flicked a fry at Tony who caught it in his mouth.

"Here's some news." Bruce started. "A&amp;E wants to a biography on me."

Barton gawked. "You should do it! Shed some positive light on The Hulk."

"Positive!" Loki almost yelled. "Please tell me they are doing a segment on your victims. I have a lot to say on that."

Bruce smiled. "I apologized for that."

Loki snorted. "I must not have heard through the ringing in my ears."

"What about you Nat?" Barton asked. "What's going on with you?"

_Oh nothing, just falling in love with Loki._ She thought to herself. She was about to answer with some generic nonsense when Loki spoke up.

"She's falling in love with me." He said, straight faced and bluntly.

Her mouth gapped. Could he read minds?

"She told me so yesterday." He continued. "She told me she can't live without me and wants to have my babies."

Wait a minute. That never happened! How could he just lie like that? So smoothly? As a spy, she admired his talent, as the women being lied on she was outraged.

"She made passionate love to me while I was wearing Captain America's uniform."

Tony laughed so hard a vein popped out his neck as Steve started choking on his burger. Natasha's face turned a bright red. "I swear Loki I'm going to stab you if you don't shut up."

"Don't deny our love now my love. For just last night you professed how my skills as a lover made you weak in the knees and faint in the head."

The laughter was spreading to Thor and Bruce. Barton could barely catch his breath and Tony started choking on his giggles.

"Loki!"

"Yes my love that is my name as you screamed out many times last…" Before he could finish his jest Natasha pushed a steak knife into Loki's leg.

He screamed out but laughed at her anger. "I love it when you're rough."

Thor laughed. "Oh brother, you have always had a way with women."

Natasha watched as Loki pulled the knife out his leg and the whole closed up. "Aye brother. Everyone knows stabbing means love."

Natasha arched a brow. "Oh really. You must really love Thor then."

Loki did not find that funny.

000

Tuesday took Natasha out of SHIELD for the entire day which really wasn't that unusual but for a reason she didn't care to explore she was feeling a bit off, unfocused. Her thoughts were constantly going back to Loki, wondering what he was doing and if he was lonely.

Wednesday morning, despite her better judgement, she got some breakfast and movies and headed to Loki's room early, hoping to catch him before Bruce did.

Loki and Bruce were growing closer during Loki's stay at the Tower which was a good thing since her work had her traveling all the time. At least Loki would have someone else to talk to and he wouldn't feel as lonely.

She knocked on the door and waited rather impatiently for him to answer. After the second knock the opened the door looking like he just woke up. "Nat. Kind of early isn't it?"

His voice was rough from sleep and it made her heart speed up a bit. "Thought you'd like a day in." She said holding up the food and DVDs.

He smiled. "Missed me yesterday did you?" He moved away from the door and let her in. "It's ok, I missed you too."

Why did that make her stomach do flops? "Yeah?"

"Why wouldn't I? You are the nicest to me." For some reason that answer didn't please her the way it probably should have. She didn't know what she wanted him to say, maybe something more personal, like he liked her company.

But as the day wore on it became apparent that he did. Knowing that Loki became bored easily it felt like a compliment that he sat with her watching movies and talking about nothing while eating everything in his room.

They watched thrillers mostly and crime films. Loki was sharp and seemed to be able to see through the plots fairly easy though he made fun of each and every one of them. At the end of each movie he went on tirades about how he would have pulled the crime off better and surprisingly it his wasn't very reliant on his magic.

She had to admit that Loki wasn't reliant on his magic in general. She hadn't seen him use it much as all though that could be because he knew he was being watched. He seemed to have no problems with putting in leg work when magic would make things easier.

Before they knew it, night fell and Natasha found herself falling asleep on his couch. She woke up to him poking her on the top of his head. "Siderwoman if you want to spend the night in my room it takes more than a few movies."

She giggled at sat up. "I guess the day caught up to me." She yawned and stretched.

Loki tilted his head. "Perhaps we should call it a night."

Natasha really didn't want to the night to end. She wanted more time with him. She wanted to know more about him. She wanted to spend hours talking to him and picking his brain.

She wanted to kiss him but she didn't want it to lead to sex. She didn't want to trap him. But then wasn't that why she was there? Wasn't she supposed to have sex with him? She wanted to but not if it meant trapping him. Her mind was spinning in circles but in the end, it wasn't her choice. He had leaned in and captured her lips in one graceful motion.

She melted. MELTED! He was moving over her to lay her down. For a brief moment she had no thoughts, only the feeling of him against her but soon, her mind was racing. This was everything she wanted but it felt so wrong.

She pushed him away. "Wait. Loki wait."

He sat back looking confused. "Wait? Have I read you wrong?"

"No! No! It's just… Ummm… we should… we shouldn't rush things." She stuttered. "I like you but…"

"Is this because I tried to enslave the human race?"

There was something so wrong with that statement and even worse, that didn't bother her at all. But since she needed a better reason than the truth, she went with it. "We fight on separate sides of the line."

Loki nodded. "I can see where that could be a problem for you. The great thing about being a villain is that I can do whatever I want." He smiled. "I guess then, this is completely up to you.

"I just want to take it slow." She said trying to figure out why he wasn't more cautious with giving himself to someone, especially someone who had been his enemy.

He nodded but he knew something was off. He couldn't put his finger it but he knew her behavior was odd. Since when did the Black Widow have to go slow? Why were they going slow? She was only going to live another sixty to seventy years at best. How slow did she want to go?

Whatever it was, he was going to find out.

Notes:

Tell me what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary:**

Loki figures it out.

**Notes:**

Beta is mischieffuckinmanaged (She's awesome)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

**Chapter Text**

Loki could hardly sleep trying to figure out what Natasha's problem was. She was definitely interested but she seemed very unsure of herself last night which was not like her at all. Her claim that it was because he was a villain wasn't really legitimate. If she really felt that way, she wouldn't have been flirting with him in the first place. So what was it that was holding her back?

He replayed the events of the last few weeks in his head and noticed that Bruce suddenly became very friendly with him as the same time Natasha started flirting. Perhaps it was a coincidence but then perhaps it wasn't. Maybe there was something happening behind the scenes that he was not privy to. Perhaps it wasn't as cut and dry as him wanting to be with Natasha and Natasha wanting to be with him. He was at SHIELD after all and things were never what they seemed at this place.

Loki got up early to meet the good doctor down in his lab knowing it was too early for Stark to be up and too late for Widow to still be in the building. One of the things Loki liked about Bruce was his inability to actually lie. He might hid a bit of the truth and he chose his words carefully, but out right lying seemed beyond him.

Loki watched his friend move around his work space for a moment before walking in. "Bruce, how are you this morning?"

Bruce looked up from his specimen and smiled. "Well. Where were you yesterday?"

Loki placed his hands behind his back and started walking around the room slowly eyeing Bruce's things. "Natasha paid me a visit and refused to leave."

A look of troubled-ness flashed across Bruce's face so fast Loki would have missed it if he blinked then he busied himself. "Really? She seems fond of you."

Wasn't that an interesting reaction? Bruce suddenly couldn't stand to look at him? Why? "Yes very much so. I am fond of her as well."

Bruce nodded still not looking at Loki.

"What's weird though is that she seems very reluctant to do anything about it. I thought perhaps she might have confided in you or maybe you know something I don't?" Yes it was a direct approach but he was expecting a lie so he had to be very forward with what he wanted to know.

Bruce swallowed hard, a sign he was choosing his words, and turned his back to Loki as he answered. "Perhaps she is worried about the consequences of a wizard sleeping with someone?"

It was a good thing Bruce had turned around or he would have seen the moment of pure confusion on his face. Loki fancied himself a smart person, but what he could not figure out what his friend was talking about. That was until it hit him… hard… in the gut.

"_I don't have sex."_

"_With mortals?" Tony pressed. "In general?"_

"_In general."_

_All four present Avengers looked at him as if he was crazy. Who doesn't have sex?_

"_Magic is a constantly moving thing." Loki explained. "I have to be very careful who I tie my emotions with. I would hate to end up like mother."_

Stupid mortals.

"Oh yes." Loki recovered. "One must be careful about that." He paused before adding. "I wouldn't want the wrong person gaining control over me."

There it was, the stiffening of Bruce's back, the tension building. That's what this was about. "Be very careful Loki." He said in a direct warning without actually saying that they were seeking control.

At least he knew Bruce was a good friend, even he wasn't sure about the company he kept.

"Thank you for your words Bruce. I must go back to my room."

"Loki wait! Just… give Natasha sometime to sort things out ok? She really does like you. It's just a heavy responsibility."

Loki smirked. "I'm sure it is."

000

Loki was stuck somewhere between furious and amused. It was an off handed comment and though it was the truth, it wasn't the whole truth. Yes being emotionally tied to someone was something Loki had to be careful with, but sex was not necessarily an emotional tie. He was no virgin. He learned a long time ago to separate his heart from his penis.

Truth be told, he could be emotionally tied with someone without sex. Bruce stood a better chance of controlling him than Natasha. It was a good thing he hadn't said that off handedly or everyone would have been trying to become his friend.

And how silly of those humans not to look further into it before setting Natasha on this stupid mission. Did they really think they could trick him into it? As if he would turn into some love sick puppy just because of an orgasm? Is that what male mortals became when they lay with women?

Even beyond all of that, there was a whole merging processes that took a while before the link would even be strong enough for her to control him. Surely Thor would have told them all that. Unless of course Thor actually was taking his side this time but that was highly unlikely. Thor would never take his side over his perfect mortal friends.

Speaking of his brother, Thor was away for the week tending to Asgard. If he could make them believe that that he was indeed linked with Natasha, they would take off the bracers and he could be free. He'd have to bed Natasha and a part of him didn't really want to use her but she was going to use him even if she had feelings for him. But then he was tired of being trapped here and obviously they had no intentions of actually letting him go if they were looking for a more permanent way to cage him.

The funny thing was, to pull this trick off, he wouldn't have to lie to manipulate. They had done all the work for him. All he had to do was follow the plan they already created.

Still a part of him stung a bit. He really did like Natasha and he thought she really did like him. Even if she did grow to have feelings for him, it was a mission. He was a mission. Would she have ever thought of him as anything more without SHIELD telling her to think that way?

Loki shook it off. It wasn't his first lesson in heartbreak and if anything it just reminded him that he really did have to be careful who he trusted.

000

He waited for her to come back to the tower which was late into the night hours. He put on some casual clothes. He might not be as attractive as Thor, but he knew he wasn't ugly either. He wore a t-shirt, something fitted, and black sweatpants low on his hips. He kept his hair messy and his feet bare as he knocked on her room door.

She answered it, fresh from her shower and looking delicious. "Loki." She gave him an approving look. "What are you doing here?"

He gave her a seductive smile. "I missed you." He leaned in and kissed her cheek, right on the corner of her lips and slid his way pass her into her room.

She closed the door and turned to him. "Loki…"

"I've been thinking about what you said yesterday." The key to dealing with someone as manipulating as yourself was not letting them speak. "You are worried because I'm a villain and a threat to your world. I realized there is a simple solution to this problem."

She swallowed. "There is?"

"Of course. We bond. You take control of me and I am yours forever. To serve you, to do your will. I will be unable to do wrong with you steering me right." OK, that was a lie. He still had free will and could do all the wrong he wanted. It was just that her disproval of it would be heartbreaking and if she kept him occupied with other things, he wouldn't really have the time to plan for wrongdoings. But she didn't need to know that. She didn't need to know anything about this process.

She looked horrified. This definitely wasn't what she thought was going to happen. She really didn't want to control him which pleased him on a lot of different levels but it didn't erase the fact that she was going to use his feelings against him.

But now, he wanted to give her the illusion of control. He wanted these bracers off and he wanted his freedom.

"Will you have me Natasha?" He made himself look as vulnerable as he could. His let his pupils dilate and his bottom lip poke out.

She blinked rapidly, stuttered some words but put up no real fight as he laid her down and made love to her. In fact, she seemed greedy for him. There was little foreplay and it was over entirely too quickly for Loki's tastes but this wasn't about pleasure. Sex rarely was for him. There wasn't a partner that he ever had that he laid with just for pleasure and though he had wanted Natasha to be an exception to that rule, he knew better than to expect it.

000

When she woke up the next morning, she felt oddly energetic. Was this was Thor meant when he told her she would feel different? Her hearing was sharper, her vision was crisper and she could see farther away. She could smell the bakery on the corner and the coffee shop two blocks away.

She turned to find Loki but found him gone. Had they already come for him? Had they told him the truth? Would he hate her?

Relief flooded her when he walked into the room carrying muffins and coffees. "Natasha. How are you feeling?"

She smiled. "Healthy."

Loki smiled. It was a simple spell to give her a temporary feeling of being linked to an immortal being. The spell to be able to tell her needs and feel her feelings was far more exhausting but it was necessary. "You wanted a muffin."

It was weird having her needs met before she was even awake to know she was having a need.

Loki put up a mock fight when she told him they should go take off the bracers. Fury seemed pleased and for the week, Loki was their errand boy. He put up a good front and catered to her in ways that a real bond had nothing to do with. His mother didn't cater to Odin at all. Sure she knew when he was tired or hungry or hurt. But she was a witch not a genie. She didn't have to comply with his every wish.

They didn't know that though and that was their fault. Not his. They had Thor and though he wasn't the most informed person in Asgard, he knew very well what a merger with a magical creature was like. He had slept with his share of witches as well and was very careful not to allow them to become emotionally involved.

Eventually Thor came back to town and they gathered for lunch. Loki was almost giddy with excitement. He couldn't' wait to see their faces when they realized that he had beat them at their own game. He wanted to see Natasha's face most of all. Would she be hurt? She would hurt in the way she had intended to hurt him and for that he would not be sorry.

Purposefully, Loki wore short sleeves, which he never did, and strolled in knowing it was about it go down.

It took Thor only seconds to realize. "Your bracers brother? They are removed?"

Loki sat down and smiled. "Have you not heard? Natasha and I have bonded."

A look of confusion crossed Thor's face. "Bonded?" He looked at Natasha. "When did this happen?"

Natasha looked down at her plate. "Earlier this week."

Thor's confusion deepened. "Week?" He looked at Loki and slowly realized what was happening. Surprisingly, Loki saw relief in his brother's blue eyes instead of anger. "And tell me Natasha, how was the merger. Loki's will is strong, I am very surprised it succumbed in a week."

Loki started doing an odd giggle which alarmed Tony and Steve.

"Merger?" She questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Of course, the merger. I was told when mother and father merged it took almost a year." Thor informed her. "You must have really earned Loki's trust."

Loki's giggle was turning wild indicating his intense pleasure at the moment.

Natasha looked at Loki realization hitting her. Loki took in her pained expression before winking away.

Thor leaned back, arms crossed. "You're all fools."

Tony continued to eat not fazed by anything that was going to. Bruce was laughing to himself realizing he probably had a lot to do with Loki figuring it out and not the least bit remorseful. They had no right to offer something has precious as love to gain the upper hand in the situation.

Steve didn't look particularly angry but he didn't look pleased either when he looked at Thor. "Why didn't you tell us all this before?"

Thor blinked. "Told you what? You did not ask me a question. You did not ask for information. You came to me with an already formulated plan, as you always do when it comes to Loki. Besides I made it clear that emotion had to be involved. It was not my fault that Midgardians know not the difference between sex and love."

Natasha wasn't sure what to say and felt a special kind of stupid. They really didn't look into the effects of controlling Loki's magic. They never asked questions or stopped to think about what would happen to her or him.

"I know sometimes it is hard for you to remember," Thor continued. "As we fight often. But Loki is my brother and I would not aid you in breaking his heart. At the same time, I swore an allegiance to you and so would not tell Loki of your plan. But I told you he would figure it out and when I realized that you were all more interested in my brother being bedded that Natasha would not succeed in her quest of earning his trust."

No. If anything now he trusted her even less than before.

Barton scoffed. "You should have said something."

Now Natasha scoffed. "You should have kept your mouth shut and not tell Fury something Loki said off handedly."

Barton opened his mouth but then shut it again.

Tony finally cleared his throat. "Should we be going after him or something?"

Thor shook his head. "He is Loki. When he wants our attention again, he will demand it of us." He stood up. "Forgive me friends but I no longer feel like eating. I must go to Jane."

Thor left the Avengers there sitting at the table looking at each other. Bruce wiped his mouth. "Well, it seems Thor finally picked a side." He looked at Natasha. "Have you?"

000

Thor opened his door and wasn't the least bit surprised to see Loki sitting there on his chair looking through his things. "You knew what they were planning?" Loki asked. "Why didn't you tell them the whole truth?"

Thor threw his cape on the bed. "Loki, I know you don't believe me when I say it, but you are my brother. I would not have them do that to you. I've allowed too much already."

Loki looked at him. "Thank you. I… I do care for the Arachnid."

"And she cares for you." Thor admitted

"But I am a villain." Loki added

"That's your choice not your birthright." Thor reminded.

Loki took a breath. "SHIELD would be more trusting if I merged with an Avenger."

Thor frowned. "Loki, Lady Widow's loyalty…"

"Yes I know." If he didn't know before he knew now. If SHIELD told her to she'd massacre small children holding bunny rabbits on Christmas Eve. "I wasn't talking about her, though she is a reason for me to stick around. I think we could work things out. But Bruce…"

"Banner?" Thor was surprised with Loki's choice of bonded. "You want to merge with Banner?"

A small smile pulled on the corner of Loki's lip. "Tony would use me for parlor tricks."

Thor laughed. "Yes he would."

"Banner would still allow my freedom while keeping me on track." Loki further explained. "And I could be of some assistance in keeping his anger controlled. Natasha will not be torn between SHIELD and you…"

"Will have my brother around more often."

Loki's smile widened. "I was going to say 'won't have to worry about me killing you' but yes what you said is true too."

Thor smiled. "Think it over brother. This should not be taken lightly and I will speak with Banner."

Loki nodded and then was gone.

**Notes:**

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